Tire-chain.



W. L. SMITH.

TIRE CHAIN.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-2,1917.

0O 1 9 l 00 2 Va h h d 6 t n w a P Lease...

1.1a; or

Toall whom it come:

Be it known that WALTER' lL. Sm'rrr, a

citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county ofhlew York and State'of New York, have invented certain.

= new and useful Improvements/in Tire- Chains, of which the following isa full,

' clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled. inthe art to which it appertains to make and moths same. This inventionrelates totire chains and similar devices employed. as gripping elementsbetween automobile tlres and a road surface. a

@ne of the objects of .the invention Is to provide a practical device ofthe character mentioned and in which'easy mounting and ehcientoperationare assured.

' in my co-pending applicationffiled April 6,

.The invention, in some respects is de-' signed to constitute asubordmate improvement to the structure described and claimed 1917,Serial No. 160,3;

1 Additional objects and certain advantages of the invention will inpart be noted hereinatter in connection with the descriptlon ot theaccompanyinfiodrawing, which illustion, and in which trates a typical emT H 1 1 e 1- is a fragmentary side elevational view or the" improveddevice as mounted about a vehicle tire; and. r

' interconnected at preferably equi-distant intervals by a plurality offixed cross chains 3.

-As is coon in devices such as thus tar described, the elements 3 arepreferably spaced apart a distance less than the arcuate dimension ofthe tire tread in closeprox unity to its normal horizontal suppog.

' surlace, whereby the constant interposition hlll 3 the urroses m refull set cl at leastcne ot the cross chains between the road andthe-tire, when Thedevice as a whole is constru a to encircle the tireperiphery, and the hemble side members may be conveniently v Vlldfid;Wll)h terminal intqrengaging' such as hooks A and eye's 5, v

my co-pen chain h 'associated'=with the side mem adiacent one end ot thelatter. I Tn the to a specification of letters Jlatent.

diment of the invenwrapped aroun wing is in, o I

tloned permits ready intereng pphcation above rel y.

to, thereis alsoprovided an auxilia a rods illustrated by thedrawingherein, the auxiliary cross chain 6 has its end links on oppositebowed rods 7, which are in turn secured to the side members between theadj acent terminal fixed cross chain and the corw responding free end ofthe side chains. The

' assembly of the auxiliary cross element and the shape and dimensionotthe rods-7 are such that the former is capable of sliding movementthereover in a longitudinal direction with respect to the side chains,whereby the free terminal extent of the latter may be increased, whendesired, by manipulation. 7 Such movement of the auxil iary member maybe limited in one direction by'a fixed collar 8. and in the otherdirec-' tion by an abutment 9. In practice, and for another functionhereinafter set forth,

the abutment 9 may conveniently be constituted by a right angled loop orbend in the rods 7. By reason ofthe outwardly adjacent fixed crosschain, is radially, dis- .placed, whereby in mounting it may assumeincreased looseness with respect to the tire. gonverselmafter mountingand in opera?- tlon, it becomes gradually vtautened to a degree uniformwith the remaining cross chains, as it works back toward the end of theside chains. f a

Thedevice isv applied to the wheel by wrappin the same about the tireand inter- .o looking to ends of the side members. lln

thisoperation the chain is positioned initially withthe auxiliary crossmember 6 in rear of the point of contact between the tire andthegroundti whereby, as the deviceis minal cross chain at the o posits endof the side chams,may be lengthened by displacing member 6 and thus made3 eater than the arc of contact or close ajacency between the tirerandits supporting surface. This increased-spacing at the point menement olwal side members the ends of the longitu without rotating or elevatingthe vehicle 'he. T a

Patented May a, it

lltppllcatlon an October 2, 1917. serial no. mama.

the wheel, the space bet tween the auxiliary cross chain and the ter-.

bowed contour of the rods 7, it will also be I noted that chain 6, whenmoved toward the e to therelative" looseness ol the A iliary cross chainwhen posifioned as she in Fig. l,"d to the ls-bl 'lorm cl the forreverse sliding movement on the rods toward the interlocked uniting endsof the side chains and in a direction reverse to the forward rotation ofthe wheel, and will assume a relatively tightened grip about the tire ata position midway between the opposite adjacentfixed cross chains.

In order to expedite such independent creeping of the auxiliary chain toassume symmetrical disposal with respect to the 'fixed cross chains,there are provided resilient means, shown as coil springs 10respectively extended between end rings or loops 11 of the rods 7 andthe end links of the auxiliary cross chain. If desired, springs 10 .maybe extended through rod loops 9, and

are readily extensible to permit wlthdrawal of the auxiliary element inmounting the device. Normally, .however, the springs ex.- erta forcetending to return orv maintain the auxiliary member in position towardor against the loops 9 and midway between the adjacent fixed crosschains, as shown in Flg. 2. Y

fter assembly of the chain about thewheel, as described, it will thus beapparent that the auxiliary cross member promptly and certainly assumesits normal operating position, which will insure, during running, theinterposition of at least one cross member between the road and the tireat all times. It may be noted, also, that the device as a whole is freeto creep about the tire periphery to insure uniformity of wear.

' anti-skid It is to be understood, further, that my invention ma beembodied efiiciently in parts ada .te for application to existingembodied in forms diflz'erent from the construction illustrated whileretainin the structural superiority and functionfi advantages indicated.For example, it will be observed that the combination of the auxbersfixed thereto at interva evices, and that it may also be iliary. crosschain, its supporting rods 7 and the springs constltue, ina sense, aunit and as such are capable of separate manufacture.

Or, the device may as well be embodied as an integral part of thecomplete chains when manufactured.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a tire chain including side members and a plurality of crossmembers fixed thereto at intervals, said side membershavinginterengaging parts whereby the whole is adapted to encircle thetire, the combination of an auxiliary cross member adjacent one end ofsaid side members and arranged for limited movement toward the adjacentfixed cross member in mounting, and means positively urging saidauxiliary member toward ranged forlongitudinal movement with respect tothe latter for increasing the free terminal extent thereof in mounting,and spring means urging said member toward midway position betweenadjacent fixed cross members when the chain is mounted.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature the presence of twovvltneeses.

WALTER L. SMITH.

Witnesses:

H. M. Seams, L. A. WA'I'SQN.

